Gemotions

The ad promised a “move-in ready gem.” Sarah choked on a laugh, a dry, harsh sound. She hadn't been back in twenty years. The house had always felt like a cage. And now, someone else would be living there?

Her palms were clammy. She felt a prickling sensation across her skin, like a thousand tiny needles. It was too much. The carefully curated photos of the kitchen – the new granite countertops, the stainless-steel appliances – felt like a personal insult.

She threw her phone across the room, the impact echoing in the sudden silence. The silence felt worse, somehow.